The annual Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert is
perhaps the world's most surrealistic outdoor event. Begun in 1986
as a small gathering on a Bay Area beach, Burning Man now attracts
35,000 artists and participants, who converge each August to create
the massive temporary encampment known as Black Rock City, a precise
geometric formation which from the air resembles a futuristic civilization
on another planet. Lasting only one week, the event's primary directive,
"Leave No Trace," remarkably ensures that the vast site, an ancient and
featureless dry lakebed, is quickly returned to its pristine state.
Numerous art installations and structures of every description populate the perfectly
flat expanse known as the playa, and each year a different theme dictates the main
attractions which are seen and visited by thousands daily ("The Floating World"
was 2002's water theme, "Beyond Belief" the metaphysical theme for 2003 and for
2004 it's the celestial "Vault of Heaven"). The relentless desert sun occasionally
gives way to severe dust storms which envelop everything in an impenetrable cloud of
fine powder, mandating that all attendees be fully prepared at all times with dust masks,
goggles and water. Burning Man tickets even specify that participants "voluntarily assume
the risk of serious injury or death," and hundreds of "Burners" are typically treated each
day for dehydration.
At the center of Black Rock City is the Man, a 75-foot high wood and neon figure
on a large platform, which is, of course, burned with great ceremony and fireworks
on the final Saturday night as thousands of onlookers displaying an almost religious
zeal surround the raging inferno, known as the Burn. Many other large and small
structures and artworks are also incinerated in the weeklong orgy of fire, which
frequently emanates from flamethrowers mounted on bizarre Mad Max-type vehicles or
the mouth of a mobile 120-foot-long dragon.
Burning Man really comes alive in the cool of the night as thousands on bicycles
cruise the promenades and avenues, and numerous sound systems and laser projections
fill the air with music and the sky with mesmerizing patterns. High technology is
apparent at every turn, as illuminated kinetic devices spin in every direction
and homemade aircraft hover overhead. In contrast to the evening's party atmosphere,
architecturally sublime structures, like David BestŐs annual temples, offer spiritual
solace and opportunity for quiet contemplation.
The popularity of Burning Man has seen attendance rise steadily each year,
and only a limited number of tickets are now sold. Participants must bring all
their food, copious amounts of water and other necessities for a week in the
desert, and nothing but coffee and ice (for coolers) is sold. Even barter is
discouraged in favor of a "gift economy," which seems to ensure that everyone
gets the help they need to survive the harsh conditions. The Burning Man paradigm,
formulated by founder Larry Harvey, has spread to regional BM events around the
US and beyond, and Harvey frequently lectures at cultural institutions and universities
in America and Europe.
The art of Burning Man has been granted a new measure of legitimacy and
recognition with the appearance of "The Art and Culture of Burning Man," an
article by Daniel Pinchbeck in the November 2003 issue of Artforum,
and articles following the 2005 event in Art in America and Art Review. As the cultural influence of the
event continues to expand, Burning Man is clearly hot by any standard.
* * *
Gabe Kirchheimer has photographed Burning Man since 1998, and his BM pictures have appeared in
the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Artforum, Design
House Korea, Domus and other publications. His work continues to be featured by the
Burning Man organization, and his classic aerial photo of Burning Man 2000
has been published worldwide and hangs in the Nevada Legislature. Please contact the photographer to view more
pictures or to discuss an assignment.
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